Man Suspected of Armed Robbery
A 19-year-old man suspected of robbing a Santa Paula family at gunpoint inside their home was being held Thursday, authorities said.
Gilbert Alcala Jr. forced his way into a home in the 200 block of South 8th Street on Wednesday afternoon and demanded the wallets and purses of the occupants, according to Santa Paula Police Sgt. Gary Marshall.
Marshall said that Alcala of Santa Paula threatened to shoot the residents if they did not hand over their belongings.
During the robbery, one family member escaped through a window and called police.
Alcala was identified as the intruder, Marshall said, and later was arrested at his home on a felony warrant not related to the robbery. Officers searched Alcala’s home and found a handgun matching the description of the weapon used in Wednesday’s holdup.
Thursday evening, Alcala was being booked into County Jail in Ventura.
Detectives said they are investigating Alcala’s possible involvement in several other robberies in the city.
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